Overview of Department

As one of the four departments of the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, the Department of Environment and Resource Studies seeks to emphasise on the spatial expression of human activities and their impact on society and the physical environment. Emphasis is placed on addressing environmental and natural resources potentials and challenges as well as the spatial and socio-economic dimensions of human organisations. Environment and Resource Management is an important engine for poverty alleviation, economic growth as well as improvement in quality of life of citizens. The academic programmes of the Department of Environment and Resource Studies aim at promoting equitable sustainable transformation of communities especially in Northern Ghana, and churning out well trained skilled professionals who will make the right kinds of decisions to reduce inequality and to promote environment and natural resource management in Ghana as a whole and Northern Ghana in particular. The Department of Environment and Resource Studies (DERS) seeks to disseminate knowledge in order to promote environment and natural resource management through strategic management and skill stimulation.

Objectives

Department of Environment and Resource Studies (DERS) exists to train students who can respond to emerging environmental issues on biodiversity loss, climate change, deforestation, and land degradation. The Department trains a new breed of graduate who can research into challenges associated with climate change and draw attention to the implications of climate change for development of the country, continent and the world.

Our progrommes

Programmes currently on offer in the department include the following:

  1. PhD Environment and Resource Management (4-year regular programme)
    The PhD programme in Environment and Resource Management (PhD ERM) aims at equipping PhD students with research and analytical skills so that they can conduct scientific research in relation to environment and resource management to inform policy and practice as well as monitor and evaluate projects on environment and natural resources apart from providing integrated learning and professional development skills to students.
  2. MPhil Environment and Resource Management (2-year regular programme)
    The MPhil Environment and Resource Management (ERM) aims to provide advanced knowledge of the principles and conceptual foundations of environment and natural resource development and equips students’ methodological understanding and analytical tools needed to develop original research in the field.
  3. BA Environment and Resource Management (4-year regular programme)The students of BA Environment and Resource Management should be able to:
    • interpret the spatial expression of human activities and their impact on society especially the most vulnerable groups and the physical environment,
    • address environment and development problems,
    • evaluate the spatial dimensions of socio-economic development
    • examine the development needs of savanna open lands and proffer solutions,
    • assess the possibilities and limitations for the utilization of natural resources from different perspectives,
    • plan participatory environment and natural resource management,
    • use aerial photography, remote sensing and Geographic Information System to analyse resources,
    • communicate environment and resource management issues to varied audiences, and, apply child protection principles in environment and resource management to the best  interest of children.
  4. Diploma Environmental Sanitation, Health and Safety
    The Diploma Environmental Sanitation, Health and Safety programme is structured to address both public and private environmental sanitation, health and safety issues. At the public levels the products of DSH will grasp and demonstrate in-depth knowledge in environmental health, disasters and their associated sanitation issues, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), occupational health and safety, flood preparedness, liquid and solid waste management, environmental air quality and noise management. At the private level, DSH will provide skills in human wellbeing analysis, fire and food safety, integrative nutrition as well as housing sanitation and safety.
  5. Diploma Environment and Resource Management (DERM)
    The proposed programme known as Diploma Environment and Resource Management (DERM) is structured to address both public and private environmental and natural resources issues. At the public level the products of DERM would utilize knowledge and skills obtained in the programme on biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, natural resources management, as well as waste management and pollution control. The key environmental issues in Ghana have been incorporated into the modules of DERM as a key strategy of addressing the inadequacies in skills.

Career Prospects

Besides the traditional environmental sectors such as Forestry, Housing, Water and Sanitation, Tourism, Mining, Energy and Transport as well as oil and gas, graduates from PhD and MPhil ERM will find jobs in climate change mitigation and adaptation implementation projects (climate smart agriculture, ecosystem adaptation to climate change impacts), Community Resource Management Area projects, mosquito control projects and in academic and research Institutions. Other areas are Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations and relevant government agencies such as Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resource Commission and International Institutions and Agencies.

On the other hand, those who graduate from the BA and Diploma programmes will have the prospects of working with governmental and non-governmental organizations as environmental sanitation, health, and safety planners/managers. Specifically, students will be useful to sectors like Sanitation, Environmental Health, Mining, Housing, Transport, as well as organizations like Forest Services Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Wildlife Division, Ghana Water Company, GIS laboratories and Environment related NGO’s such as CARE International, Friends of the Earth, and AROCHA-Ghana.

Enquiries

Email: ykadri@ubids.edu.gh ;

Mobile: +233 ….

Admissions

Call: +233(0)392097256 or +233(0)392097257; 

Email: admissions@ubids.edu.gh ; WhatsApp: +233550918837